Thursday, January 30, 2014

Bishop's should be afraid

The scandal surrounding the removal of German Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst of Limburg should fill all bishops with fear, yes there was a diocesan project which ran over budget and there was a huge public outcry and the bishop hit the popular media as 'the bling bishop' but according to Crisis Magazine the overspend was overseen by the relevant diocesan committee and the public outcry was orchestrated by one of the Bishops own priests.

Spending vast amounts is not unusual for German bishops It is reported they will have to pay about 89 million dollars after they have led their Weltbild into bankruptcy. Weltbild, the publishing house they own hit the headlines when it was revealed last year it also published pornography. The money will be used to keep the business running until a solution for the misbegotten company is found. Augsburg bishop Konrad Zdarsa has declared that the money is paid in order to contain the public effects of the bankruptcy.

The Bishop's real crime was that he attempted to control the "The Lobby", he removed a priest from office who had blessed a same sex couple's union, his other 'crimes' seem to be that he attempted to kerb the power of left leaning clergy and laity, those that have been the rise in the last few months in our own country, those who push for the Church to accept divorce and remarriage, female ordination, the return of married clergy, the abolition of celibacy, a liberalisation of liturgical practices etc.

The Bishop taught the Catholic faith to his diocese which had really thrown it off and accepted an entirely different Magisterium. Far from being the villain he has been portrayed as, he seems to have been the heroic voice crying in the wilderness. Now it seems the diocese will either be absorbed into other German dioceses or have a new bishop appointed by Rome.

What worries me is that the rise of ACTA activity, which seems to have same ends as many in the diocese of Limburg, in the dioceses of England and Wales, with at least the passive support of some of our bishops, will make many of diocese ungovernable or so absorbed in internal bickering they will be rendered unfit for mission for another generation. Again a prediction for the future, before the end of this Papacy there will be many more Limburgs.

Essential in this regard is the uncompromising witness of Catholic universities to the Church’s moral teaching, and the defense of her freedom, precisely in and through her institutions, to uphold that teaching as authoritatively proclaimed by the magisterium of her pastors. It is my hope that the University of Notre Dame will continue to offer unambiguous testimony to this aspect of its foundational Catholic identity, especially in the face of efforts, from whatever quarter, to dilute that indispensable witness. And this is important: its identity, as it was intended from the beginning. To defend it, to preserve it and to advance it!

There is rather heartening story Tweeted from the Catholic Herald today, too. Pope Francis said in a homily that doctrine is not a Pick'n'Mix counter.http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2014/01/30/pope-francis-we-cannot-use-church-doctrine-as-we-please/

May I comment on two problems (of many) in the Church today, the degree to which the secular Press influences and forms the Church’s public statements and image, and the continuing existence within the Church of ”lobbies”

Bishop Tebartz van Elst is openly orthodox on sexual matters as well as others, a seemingly dangerous position for a Catholic bishop to take these days, and not only in Germany. Whatever the spend, it appears to have been done properly according to diocesan procedures. That might be cause for a review and possibly a caution, but not a suspension.

There is the case of Msgr Ricca who led an outrageously public homosexual lifestyle but who, apparently, continues comfortably somewhere in the Vatican un-admonished, in stark contrast to Cardinal O’Brien, who, was publicly dealt with. Could it be that O’Brien’s real sin, whatever his past, was to publicly speak out against same sex marriage etc., and so upset some “lobby” in the Church - and Vatican.

And then there is the FFI, severely constrained in saying the ancient and still principle form of the Catholic Mass, the Vetus Ordo, but with no restriction on the use of any of the myriad versions of the New Mass.

It is strange how everyone focuses on different parts when Papal utterances are made. For example, Father highlighted, “And this is important: its identity, as it was intended from the beginning. To defend it, to preserve it and to advance it!”

On the other hand, what caught my eye was this ludicrous part of the previous sentence, “the University of Notre Dame will continue [continue?] to offer unambiguous testimony to this aspect of its foundational Catholic identity…”If he believes Notre Dame is at this moment, or at any time in the recent past, ‘demonstrating unambiguous testimony to the Catholic faith’ we can, at best, expect no change.

So media bad guy, Real life good guy. Thank you for posting the what really happened, Father.

lifesite news' Steve Jalsevic said this in an interview with Michael Voris: things hurting the Church - deficiencies (Pope Benedict thanked secular media for exposing the 'filth' of the Church), are homosexuality within the Church, poor Catechesis, and poor liturgy. But no. 1 = active unrepentant homosexual clergy and religious sisters in great numbers, far beyond what most of the public realises.

Ubi Petrus, ibi ecclesia, et ubi ecclesia vita eterna

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